FRIDAY, go out of business! Kazuhiro Kiyohara, the “leader of the pack,” howls! Thoughts on the current baseball world and Shohei Otani

Special interview on the 40th anniversary of the first issue, Part 2

2025-01-08

Long interview with Kazuhiro Kiyohara, a cut never before published in this magazine

Otani, who is now the world’s number one player, is still a very special person in Kiyohara’s eyes. We asked Kiyohara if he and the pitcher Otani had played against each other when he was still active, and he replied, “No, I couldn’t hit.

He said, “No, he wouldn’t be able to hit (laughs). His fastball is fast and he has a variety of breaking pitches, so I don’t think he would be a match for a normal pitcher. But I don’t think he will be overpowered. If he throws a straight ball, I think he has a chance. If he throws a breaking ball, I will say, “Do you have balls? but in this day and age, I can’t say that anymore (laughs).

It may be some time before he puts on a professional baseball uniform again, but Kiyohara has returned to the baseball world as a commentator. His commentary on hitting, which draws on his 23 years of professional baseball experience with a total of 525 home runs, has been well received by fans.

When I was active, I hated it when commentators who came from a pitching background talked about the technical aspects of hitting, or when they had negative things to say about someone who had a worse record than I did. So when I commentate, I try to find the good things about the players and talk about them as much as I can. I believe that it is my destiny to be involved in baseball in any way I can.

Kiyohara’s Life in Baseball

Once again, what was baseball for Kiyohara? After receiving a piece of colored paper from a reporter, Kiyohara wrote “dream” on it, muttering, “I wonder if this character is correct …….

Baseball is a world of dreams. That dream continues to this day. If I had not played baseball, I would never have met my wife, and probably my sons would not have played baseball either. And if my sons had not played baseball, we would not have the good family relationship that we have today. I am truly glad that I have continued to pursue my dream of baseball, even though my body has been battered and bruised over the past 23 years.

At the end of the interview, when we asked him for a message for FRIDAY, which was celebrating its 40th anniversary, Kiyohara, who had finished his iced coffee, grinned, turned his mischievous eyes on us and said, “FRIDAY.

He turned the mischievous eyes that FRIDAY had captured so many times before and said, “Let FRIDAY be crushed! (laughter).

The rivalry between FRIDAY and Kiyohara will continue. The next time Kiyohara meets a reporter, he may not be in a well-tailored suit, but in a sweat-soaked uniform.